Kamen Del 2025

After a week of cold, rain and even snow on 24th May (!), Vitosha is again sunny and welcoming. I had been craving for this hike to Kamen Del and couldn't have been more pleased with the organization and the weather.

We started early and were at Zlatnite mostove at 10 o'clock. It being Sunday, sunny and warm after all that cold, the mountain was packed, but the trail we took to Kamen Del is less known and rarely frequented.

Hike info:

Date: 01 June 2025

Destination: peak Kamen Del (1862 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 14 km

Elevation gain: 480 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4 hours 45 min

Average difficulty: 4.5 / 10

The air was fresh, around 14-16 C and we climbed the peak in less that an hour and a half.

As it was a bit early for lunch and quite windy at the peak, we decided to take a couple of photos there and continue along the trail to the northern part of the mountain.

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Burda cargo pants, Burda longsleeve

I: lingerie, Burda raglan short-sleeve blouse

A view to Sofia from Kamen Del

The unusual and rare blue color of these flowers never ceases to amaze me

One of my favourite places on Vitosha - the plateau

Wild iris

We had our lunch on a sunny clearing, facing the city, sheltered from the wind and it was such a pleasure. Finding the perfect picnic spot is one of the most important parts of a hike, as the enjoyment of the picnic lunch colors so much the memories of the hike.

The stony desert slopes of Kamen Del 

We took a short detour on our way back along an alternative trail to Zlatnite mostove and went to peak Kikish (1434,6 м)

Vitosha, Peak Ushite 2024

Pictures from our hike today on Vitosha, on another very sunny, very hot day. We had planned a hike from Zlatnite mostove to Cherni vruh, but only 100 m into the hike I realized, that we had forgotten the sunscreen. The trail to Cherni vruh passes mostly through the bare alpine part of the mountain, and up in the open, under the scorching sun without sunscreen seemed a very bad idea. 

So, we quickly reorganized, turned and started in the opposite direction, to peak Ushite - a shorter and easier hike mostly through the forested part of the mountain. The peak itself is in the open and we did get quite a lot of sunshine, but much, much less, that we would have been exposed to, if we had followed our initial plan.

Another plus side of our revised plan, apart from the fact, that we climbed a new to us peak and that is always exciting, was the fact, that the tracks we chose were almost empty and the peak was also very unpopular, so we were able to enjoy some real mountain peace and quiet.

The raspberries were already ripe and we did eat quite a lot of these :)

The plateau and peak Kamen Del in the distance

Peak Kamen Del a bit up close. It is one of the most popular peaks on Vitosha and it was like a public gathering there - such a contrast to peak Ushite, where we were the only tourists almost the entire time we were there.

Hike info:

Date: 28 July 2024

Destination: peak Ushite (1906 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 11.6 km

Elevation gain: 516 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 4.5 hours

Average difficulty: 4 / 10

Peak Ushite - like almost all peaks on Vitosha (there must be a geological explanation somewhere), the peak itself is an enormous pile of rocks with no particular path to the top.

Cranberries - I don't think I've ever seen so many and so big in the wild. We did have quite a few, although I wouldn't call myself exactly a fan.

Finally closing in on the top

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Cargo pants

I: lingerie, Sabrina Slims II

We had our lunch on a rock, with a view to Kamen del, Kopitoto and Sofia

The sight to the east - the plateau and Maluk Rezen, Golyam Rezen and Cherni Vruh in the distance

Dendrarium Round Trail 2024

It is May and the weather here is catching up on all the cold and rain it failed to produce in March :) However, Saturday was sunny and even warm and dry, perfect for hiking, and Vitosha was bursting at the seams with tourists.

This week we decided to make an experimental hike - we went over the map of Vitosha and compounded a round trail, starting from the Dendrarium up to Kamen del hut, where we had our lunch and then along an alternative trail back to Momina skala and through Zlatnite mostove back to the Dendrarium. We've walked most of the tracks around Zlatnite, but the one from the Dendrarium to Kamen del hut was completely new to us and it turned out to be a hidden gem.

The track runs along one of the many small rivers on Vitosha, passing through gorgeous green meadows and beech forests

Hike info:

Date: 18 May 2024

Destination: Kamen del Hut

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 10 km

Elevation gain: 370 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 3 hours

Average difficulty: 3 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Knipmode cargo pants, Colorblock Burda blouse

I: lingerie, leg warmers

Although we enjoyed our picnic at Kamen del hut, next time we make this trail, we should probably have our lunch at the Momina skala meadow, which is closer to the highest point of the trail and has lots of picnic tables and gazebos. 

A salamander. These are very common on Vitosha in the rainy season.

The Dendrarium - a large picnic area with a small lake with plenty of frogs, dragonflies and turtles

Easter Day on Kamen Del 2024

Probably the best hike so far this year - our Easter hike on Vitosha, together with Gaby, along a circular trail to peak Kamen del from the Zlatnite mostove area.

Gaby was home only for a few days for the Orthodox Easter, which this year is about a month after the Catholic Easter. As Austria is a catholic country and Monday was a workday for her, she had to fly back to Vienna late in the evening of the Easter day, so in principle, we had planned the hike for one of the previous days. However, the weather made us change our plans - it rained the whole Friday and Saturday, but, as forecast, the sun shone bright on Sunday, so we packed the backpacks and early in the morning drove up to Zlatnite mostove.

For our hike we had chosen to climb peak Kamen del along an alternative trail, that we found a couple of years ago. The day turned out to be perfect for hiking - fresh and sunny.

Hike info:

Date: 05 May 2024

Destination: peak Kamen Del (1862 m) along circular trail

Mountain: Vitosha

Total length: 14 km

Elevation gain: 480 m

Total duration (plus picnic and rests): 5 hours

Average difficulty: 5 / 10

Me-made items, worn on this hike:

Husband: boxers, Knipmode cargo pants, Colorblock Burda blouse

I: lingerie, Sinclair Lotte blouse, hoodie, leg warmers

Gaby: lingerie, Sinclair jacket

The air was coldish and we could even see the vapours along the path.

The plateau and the last crocuses

Peak Kamen del. The peak is very popular, as it is the most scenic peak over Sofia, with an easy access from Aleko hut, but on this Easter day it was almost empty, as was the city itself - I love Sofia during the holidays :)

We had our picnic on the peak and decided to do the entire circuit along the plateau and return to Zlatnite mostove through the mid-altitude trail.

The covered with snow peaks of Cherni vruh and Golyam and Maluk Rezen

Sofia at a glance

This circuit trail is probably my favourite route on Vitosha, especially in spring and autumn

The trail crosses the stone slopes of Kamen del

And back to Zlatnite mostove by Momina skala hut